Christmas Present, Christmas Past

Josh watching Nikolas remove the ornaments
Mom Mom Pat and Shaun decorating the tree
Shaun (background) test tasting the cookies


This week is the most stressful time of the year for most people. Everyone who was not smart enough to have their shopping done before Thanksgiving have to now contend with the traffic, crowds and worry of getting "it" all done in time for the actual holiday.

Today I have a "day off" from the hospital after working the last five days. It really feels good to sit here with a down blanket and a hot cup of coffee with my lap top computer and write about Christmas. Of course, I still have one million things to still do before the holiday but for now I will enjoy the peace of this morning.

It is hard to believe that in 2005 I am the grandmother of two little boys who are very much my pride and joy. Shaun Patrick is a very busy active four year old who loves soldiers and is in Pre-K. He is very outgoing and never is shy. As a matter of fact, he talks nonstop from dawn to dusk. Sometimes he talks so much he actually loses his voice by the time dusk arrives. Nikolas Joseph just celebrated his first birthday on November 30th. His doctor thinks Nikolas will be about 6"6" when he grows up if he keeps his current growth pace. Nikolas watches everything his older brother does and imitates him. It is really cute to see this one year old get down on the floor and make the same sounds pushing a car along the floor as his brother who is three years older.

As my grandmother and mother before me, I have my own holiday traditions. Shaun and I baked reindeer and Santa cookies. Shaun and Nikolas "test tasted" them of course. Shaun and I decorated the Christmas tree as Nikolas removed each ornament we placed on the tree. We visited the "Festive of Lights" as Shaun gave us all a personal concert in the back seat of the car as he sang Christmas carols. This is 2005 Christmas.

To me it only seems like yesterday that I was the child and someone else was the grandmother. I remember the little girl awaiting the arrival of Santa on a Christmas Eve night. She shared a third floor bedroom with her little sister and as she snuggled under the blankets she tried in vain to fall asleep because she knew when she did she would soon awake to morning and to the dollies, dresses and candies beneath the Christmas tree. I remember my grandmother singing "Santa is coming to town" while dancing around the living room as my siblings and I were watching "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer". I remember grandmom baking brownies and pumpkin bread for every member of the family during the holiday season. Christmas was grandmom's favorite time of the year and though she and grandpop had very little money for gift giving they somehow managed to write out those one dollar checks for all the grandchildren. I remember sitting by the adults on Christmas Day and listening to them laughing and talking. I remember the smiles on the faces of my grandparents as they watched their adult children with only the pride parents felt as these children of theirs enjoyed each others company.

Yes, some traditions remain and stay the same. Other traditions change or are lost forever. The family still celebrates the holidays together. They laugh. They joke. Grandmothers still bake with little ones nearby. The reindeer cookies have replaced the pumpkin bread and brownies. New faces have replaced some old faces at the dinner table. But we are a family descended from a long line of other families who love and value what the true meaning of a family is. Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!